Glossary
Terms frequently used by FEMA. In a few instances, standard insurance industry terms have been added for additional focus and emphasis.
General Property Form
See Standard Flood Insurance Policy–General Property Form.
Government Owned Property
Property that is owned by government for reasons including foreclosure and prior ownership. This applies to governments at all levels, including local, State and Federal, and applies to single family units as well as multi-family units.
Grade Elevation
The lowest or highest finished ground level that is immediately adjacent to the walls of the building. Use natural (pre-construction), ground level, if available, for Zone AO and Zone A (without BFE).
Grant Award Notification
Official document signed by the authorized official stating the amount, the terms and conditions of an award for a discretionary grant or cooperative agreement.
Grant Programs
Programs of discretionary or formula grants and/or cooperative agreements administered by a federal agency.
Grantee
An individual or organization awarded financial assistance under one of the federal discretionary grant programs.
Group Flood Insurance
Issued by the NFIP Direct Program in response to a Presidential disaster declaration. Disaster assistance applicants, in exchange for a modest premium, receive a minimum amount of building and/or contents coverage for a 3-year policy period. An applicant may cancel the group policy at any time and secure a regular Standard Flood Insurance Policy (SFIP) through the NFIP.
GSA
General Services Administration.
Garages
Attached Garages
A garage attached to a residential structure or in an enclosed area below an elevated building may have the garage floor slab below the Base Flood Elevation (BFE). Because such a garage is an enclosed area below the BFE, openings are required either in the exterior walls of the garage or in the garage doors themselves.
Below-grade Parking Garages
Below grade parking garages are only allowed in non-residential buildings in Zones A1-30, AE, AH, and AO and must be dry floodproofed. The construction of below grade parking garages is prohibited beneath residential buildings. Below-grade parking garages are prohibited beneath all residential and non-residential buildings in V Zones.
Detached Garages
Small detached garages for residential uses may qualify as Accessory Structures under the NFIP.
National Flood Insurance Program Requirements
- 60.3 - Flood plain management criteria for flood-prone areas
- (a) (1) - Development Permit
- (a) (3) - Reasonably Safe From Flooding
- (c) (2) - A Zone Residential Buildings
- (c) (3) - A Zone Nonresidential Buildings
- (c) (4) - Floodproofing Certification
- (c) (5) - Openings
GETS
Government Emergency Telecommunications Service
Governor’s Authorized Representative
The individual, designated by the governor, who serves as the grant administrator for all funds provided under HMGP; the person empowered by the governor to execute, on behalf of the state, all necessary documents for disaster assistance.
Gray Infrastructure
Human-made structures that are engineered to provide a specific level of service under specific scenarios and generally addresses a single purpose. Gray infrastructure is also known as traditional infrastructure.
Green Infrastructure
A subset of nature-based solutions, which consists of a sustainable approach to natural landscape preservation and stormwater management that can be used for hazard mitigation activities as well as provide additional ecosystem service benefits. Green infrastructure methods use an ecosystem‐based approach to replicate a site’s predevelopment condition and function.
Green Open Space
Green open space is land that does not directly touch a natural body of water, such as a river, lake, stream, creek or coastal body of water.
Grid-Connected System
Solar photovoltaic system that comprises photovoltaic modules, required mounting hardware and inverters for conversion of direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) power, but no energy storage capacity, and must be interconnected to the local utility grid for power when the photovoltaic modules cannot generate sufficient power.
Geosynthetics
A planar product manufactured from polymeric material used with soil, rock, earth, or other geotechnical engineering-related material as an integral part of a man-made project, structure, or system (from the Association of State Dam Safety Officials Glossary).
Source: American Society for Testing and Materials D-4439, 2004.